The present invention relates generally to furniture and, more particularly, to devices for protecting furniture from damage during normal use, shipping and handling.
Various types of furniture such as cabinets, dressers, and the like, have movable components such as doors or drawers that open and close against a frame. The opening and closing of such furniture components may cause damage to the frame under normal usage. In addition, during shipping or handling, furniture parts may swing open with more force than is typical under normal usage and cause additional wear and tear on the furniture piece. This tendency may be particularly problematic for heavy doors, furniture with sharp edges, or furniture made from less durable materials prone to damage.
Devices have been developed for temporarily restraining furniture doors from lateral movement during shipping and handling. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,205 describes a cabinet door clip formed with a pair of U-shaped bends that are configured to limit lateral movement of a cabinet door. Co-assigned and co-pending U.S. Publication No. 2002-0089269 filed Jan. 10, 2001 describes a cabinet door clip configured for restraining furniture doors from both vertical and horizontal movement relative to a frame during shipping and handling. The disclosures of both U.S. Pat. No. 3,997,205 and U.S. Publication No. 2002-0089269 are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. However, even when a door, drawer, or other movable furniture component is restrained during shipping, damage can occur. For example, many furniture clips allow some motion, which may be significant enough to cause damage to furniture surfaces.
Damage from movable furniture components can also occur during normal usage. Various cushioning devices have been made to protect furniture at the interface between a frame and a movable part. Such devices can typically require a hard plastic portion to hold the device in place and a softer plastic portion to provide a cushion. Devices made from two types of plastic materials of differing rigidity may be expensive and cumbersome to make. Alternatively, adhesive may be used to affix a soft plastic or rubber cushion to the point of contact to protect furniture parts. However, adhesives can leave undesirable glue residue on the furniture piece and harm furniture finishes.
In view of the above discussion, cushioning devices for protecting movable furniture components and frames are provided. In certain embodiments, a device for protecting first and second confronting furniture components includes a base member having opposite first and second faces. The first face is adapted to contact the first furniture component, and the base member has a cushioning projection that extends outwardly from the second face of the base member and covers a void within the base member. The projection is adapted to contact the second furniture component as it confronts the first furniture component.
In some embodiments, a device for securing and protecting confronting movable and frame members of a furniture piece includes a base member having opposite first and second faces. The first face is adapted to contact the frame member, and the base member has a cushioning projection extending outwardly from the second face of the base member and covering a void within the base member. The projection is adapted to contact the movable member as it confronts the frame member of the furniture piece. A securing member extends outwardly from the base member second side and is configured to removably secure the movable member against the cushioning projection.
In other embodiments, a device for protecting opposing furniture components includes first and second base members extending away from a common vertex. The first and second base members each have first and second opposing faces. The first face is adapted to contact the first furniture component. The first and second base members each have a cushioning projection extending outwardly from the second faces of the first and second base members. Each projection is adapted to contact the second furniture component as it confronts the first furniture component.
In further embodiments, an article of furniture is provided that includes a frame, a movable member connected with the frame and movable from an open position to a closed position, and a device for protecting the movable member in a closed position relative to the frame. The device includes a base member having opposite first and second faces. The first face is adapted to contact the frame. The base member has a cushioning projection extending outwardly from the second face of the base member and covering a void within the base member. The projection is adapted to contact the movable member as it confronts the frame.
In still further embodiments a method for manufacturing a device for protecting first and second confronting furniture components includes providing a mold including a pair of mating mold halves that form a cavity. The cavity is configured to form a base member having opposite first and second faces. The first face is adapted to contact the first furniture component and the second face has a cushioning projection extending away from the second face. Molten polymeric material is injected into the cavity. A gas is injected into the cavity at a pressure sufficient to cause a void to form within the base member so that the cushioning projection covers the void. The polymeric material is cooled to a solid state such that it forms a cushioning device.